African commission urged to address human rights violations in Burkina Faso
call for urgent action on human rights violations in Burkina Faso
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (CADHP) must prioritize pressing human rights issues in Burkina Faso during the upcoming review on October 23, 2024. The Burkinabè government faces urgent calls to protect civilians caught in the armed conflict, safeguard civic space for activists, journalists, and opposition figures, and ensure accountability for grave abuses.
key concerns in the 2023 government report
Burkina Faso’s 2023 report, covering 2015–2021, fails to adequately address critical human rights challenges. These include widespread abuses by state security forces and Islamist armed groups in the conflict, restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms, and pervasive impunity for serious crimes.
« The CADHP’s review of Burkina Faso presents a vital opportunity to engage the Burkinabè authorities on their human rights practices, » said Allan Ngari, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. « The commission must urge the government to prioritize civilian protection in military operations and uphold international humanitarian law. »
escalating conflict and accountability gaps
Since 2016, Burkina Faso has faced an insurgency led by the Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM)—linked to Al-Qaeda—and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS). The country has experienced two military coups since 2022, further destabilizing the security situation.
The government’s report highlights measures to combat « violent extremism » and terrorism, such as establishing a specialized counterterrorism unit and deploying military police to oversee detainee rights. It also claims security forces receive human rights and international humanitarian law training to prevent abuses and that perpetrators of « inhumane or degrading acts » are held accountable.
However, Human Rights Watch has documented severe abuses by Burkinabè security forces during counterinsurgency operations, including crimes against humanity such as unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and mass executions of civilians accused of collaborating with Islamist armed groups. These abuses have persisted beyond the period covered by the government’s report.
Islamist armed groups have also committed grave atrocities, including summary executions, sexual violence, abductions, and looting, while besieging numerous towns and villages across the country.
cadhp’s role in addressing abuses
In April 2023, the CADHP issued a press statement following the alleged massacre of dozens of civilians by security forces in Karma, Yatenga Province, calling for investigations and civilian protection. In November 2023, the CADHP’s Working Group on Extrajudicial Killings urged an investigation into an attack on civilians in Zaongo, Namentenga Province.
Under international law, Burkina Faso bears primary responsibility for ensuring justice for grave crimes committed since 2016. Yet, the government has made little progress in investigating or prosecuting abuses by security forces. The 2023 report provides no details on investigations into alleged abuses by state forces or any judicial proceedings.
The report mentions steps to protect civil and political rights, including a 2017 law for human rights defenders. However, authorities have systematically restricted these rights since then, targeting activists, opposition members, journalists, and critics through illegal conscription, enforced disappearances, and abductions.
In December 2023, the CADHP expressed concern over the abduction of prominent human rights defender Daouda Diallo, citing intimidation, judicial harassment, and reprisals against activists. In July 2024, the commission condemned the alleged enforced disappearance of three Burkinabè journalists, urging authorities to disclose their whereabouts. No information has been provided despite repeated demands from families and legal representatives.
urgent recommendations for the cadhp
Human Rights Watch urges the CADHP to:
- Conduct an official visit to Burkina Faso to assess the human rights situation firsthand.
- Push for accountability for abuses by both state forces and Islamist armed groups.
- Recommend concrete measures to protect activists, journalists, and political opponents from repression.
« The CADHP must thoroughly discuss the grave abuses committed by Burkinabè security forces and Islamist armed groups, as well as the urgent need for accountability, » Ngari emphasized. « It should also recommend actionable steps to ensure activists, journalists, and opposition figures can work without fear. »
